Metallic railway-tie.



PATENTED JULY 30,1907.

RFAGAN. METALLIC RAILWAY TIE.

' E/v'rom By I APPLICATION FILED MAY 19. 1907.

WITNESSES A TTORNE Y5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT FAGAN, OF LOAMI, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES WYCKOFF, OF

LOAMI, ILLINOIS. Y

METALLIC RAILWAY-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed May 18, 1907. Serial No. 374,332-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT FAGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Loami, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Metallic Railway-Tie, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to metallic railway ties and to means for fastening rails thereto.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and durable metallic ties having efficient means whereby rails can be fastened thereto without the use of bolts, said fastening means being simple, durable and efficient and disposed to exert a constant downward pressure upon the rails so as to bind them at all times upon 1 5 the tie.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure l is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the tie and fasteners; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, one of the rails being shown in section and the other indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the fasteners; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and showing a modified form of spring clamp.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference,

1, 1 designate hollow rectangular end portions of the tie, the same being integral with, and connected by, a reduced intermediate portion 2, the top surface of which is disposed below the top of the end portions and is designed to be embedded within the road bed so that lateral creeping of the tie is prevented. As shown the ends of the tie are preferably beveled and open.

Riveted or otherwise secured upon each end portion is a plate 3 having a tongue 4 designed to'lap and engage the outer base flange of a rail 5. These fasteners when used upon curves are also provided with upstanding'braces 6 which fit snugly against the web and head of the rail and are bent downward as shown at 7 with their ends riveted onto the tie as indicated at 8.

15 The inner base flanges of the rails are designed to be engaged by spring fasteners one of which has been shown in detail in Fig. 3. Each fastener consists of a spring metal rod bent to form an intermediate portion 9 from which extend parallel arms 10 having L-shaped extensions 11 disposed in parallel planes. The ends of these extensions project inward toward each other as shown at 12 and have openings 13 designed to receive wedge-like keys such as indicated at 14. Triangular plates 15 are riveted or otherwise secured to the sides 5 of the tie and under the rails 5 and have outstanding ears 16. Small openings 17 are formed in the sides of the tie and below the plates 3.

When it is desired to fasten a rail to the tie the same is placed with one of its flanges in position beneath the tongue 4. The ends 12 of the spring fastener are then inserted into the openings 17 and the arms 11 sprung under and over the cars 16 as shown. The intermediate portion 9 of the fastener will thus be drawn tightly upon the other flange of the rail and will bind it firmly upon the tie. Keys 14 can then be driven into the openings 18 and the rail will then be securely fastened upon the tie. It will be understood that the fastener made up of the intermediate portion 9 and the parts extending therefrom serve, not only to bind the rail upon the tie, but also to draw it against the 7 O tongue 4. It will be seen that this fastener does not require the use of bolts and there are no parts liable to become displaced as a result of the jarring produced by trains passing over the rails. The inturned ends 12 can be dispensed with as 7 5 shown in Fig. 4 in which event the cars 16 will act as efficient holding means. The spring rail clamps described can be used on either side of a rail and with any form of tie whether of metal, concrete or wood.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a tie having enlarged hollow end portions; of a rail engaging tongue secured upon each end portion, and a spring rail fastener straddling; and secured to each end portion of the tie.

2. The combination With a tie of a rail-engaging tongue secured thereon, and a spring rail-engaging fastener secured to and straddling said tie, said fastener being disposed to clamp a rail upon the tie and against the tongue.

3. The combination with a tie; of a rail-engaging tongue secured thereon, and a spring fastener cooperating with said tongue and comprising a rod having an intermediate rail-engaging portion and end portions straddling and engaging the tie.

l. The combination with a tie of a railengaging tongue secured thereon, and a spring fastener cooperating with the tongue and comprising a rod having an intermediate rail-engaging portion, angular extensions integral there with and straddling the tie, inwardly projecting portions upon the extensions and engaging the tie, and means upon the tie for holding the fastener under tension.

5. The combination with a tie having a hollow end por tion and rail-engaging means upon said portion; of a fastener comprising a spring rod having an intermediate railengaging portion, angular extensions thereon straddling the tie, said extensions having end portions projecting into the tie, means upon the tie for holding the extensions under tension, and means within the tie and engaging the end portions of the fastener to hold them against withdrawal.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aifixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT FAGAN.

Witnesses R. R. Gnnnn, Jon D. STALEY. 

